Mercedes Benz Econic NGT 1828 semi-truck
Certified as an Environmentally Enhanced Vehicle (EEV)
20 percent less CO2, 30 percent less NO2 emissions
Vienna Technical University and the Graz Energy Agency have teamed up with Mercedes-Benz Austria, Magna Steyr, and the shipping company Frikus to find out how much a natural gas-driven Econic NGT reduces noise and emissions of CO2 and pollutants compared to a conventional diesel-powered truck. To determine this, an all-new Econic NGT 1828 semi-truck is being tested in plant supply operations at Magna Steyr.
Daimler provided the test vehicle for this pioneering project, which is being supported by various government authorities, including the Austrian Ministry of Transport, Innovation and Technology, the State of Styria, and the Environmental Agency of the City of Graz.
Preliminary assessments are quite conclusive. As project coordinator Prof. Ernst Pucher from the Technical University of Vienna states, the Econic NGT not only cut noise in half, it also reduced CO2 emissions by around 20 percent and nitrogen dioxide emissions by about 30 percent compared to diesel-powered vehicles. CO2 emissions were reduced thanks to the approximately 10 percent lower fuel consumption (26.5 kg of natural gas/100 km), compared to a diesel-powered truck.
The Magna Steyr Fahrzeugtechnik plant in the area of Graz, Austria, is one of the largest industrial facilities in the region. A total of 100 heavy-duty trucks handle the logistics operations for the production process, covering a total of about 32,000 km every day on their runs. A sustained reduction of CO2, pollutant, and particulate emissions as offered by the Econic makes it easier to meet trade law requirements and therefore helps to safeguard the production location for the long-term. In addition, the truck has been certified as an Environmentally Enhanced Vehicle (EEV).
The Mercedes-Benz Econic is a special purpose vehicle able to be utilised in low-emission zones for municipal, delivery, and garbage collection services; it is suitable as a waste disposal, firefighting, and airport ground service vehicle, as well as a tanker or delivery vehicle.
Vehicle emissions are lower than those allowed by the EEV standard, currently the most stringent in the world, thanks to the Mercedes-Benz Econic’s natural gas drive. Daimler says the M 906 LAG natural gas engine, which generates 205 kW (279 hp) from a displacement of 6.88 liters, produces neither CO2 nor particulates, and is also extremely quiet.
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